Tool Auction News

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, Jul/Aug 2004 by Wells, John G

Live Free or Die Auction Held at Annual Meeting

Martin J. Donnelly's Live Free or Die Antique Tool Auctions held a 301 lot catalogued auction at the EAIA's 2004 Annual Meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 15. The auction catalogue was printed in full color and all lots were illustrated with clear color photographs conveniently displayed on the page facing descriptions of the lots, which were in Martin's typical entertaining style. All photographs in this article are courtesy of Martin J. Donnelly Antique Tools. The prices in this article include the 10% buyer's premium. The auction grossed $64,499 for an average of $207.64 per lot.

THE STARS

The stars in any auction are the lots that jump up and cry 'take me home.' Some of us hear the cry from lots that don't speak to others, and some don't hear the cry at all. Some items are stars because they bring the highest prices; some are stars because they are the best in their category.

A handled plow plane in highly figured Brazilian Rosewood (Lot 100) by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, maker John Veit brought the highest bid of the auction: $3,520. Although John Veit was a fairly prolific maker and worked for a long period, 1857 to 1899, he produced very few plow planes and following the custom of other Pennsylvania makers. Only a small percentage of these were handled plows made of premium woods. The rarity of planes of this type by Veit combined with the overall scarcity of handled premium wood plows by Pennsylvania makers made this a very desirable plane for plow plane collectors.

A metallic rabbet plane, made by S. C. Tatum & Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, (Lot 299) patented September 11, 1883, by John M. Bennett opened and sold for $2,860 to an absentee bidder. Tatum rabbet planes are scarce to rare and this was a nice example. The price reflected the strength of the market for rare patented planes.

A significant and very early English molding plane by Francis Purdew (Lot 275) sold for $1,760. An oval stamp, bordered by small raised dots on the side of the plane, contained a very faint and difficult to read inscription. Until a recent study by Donald and Ann Wing, collectors thought the plane could be attributed to Thomas Granford. The Wings, however, created a clear computer enhanced image of the stamp from a composite of the best portions of stamps from several planes, which revealed that the stamp read "THIS / IS FRAN / PURDEVS / MAKE." According to their research, Francis Purdew originally apprenticed under John Greene and was turned over to Robert Hemming in 1688. He completed his apprenticeship in 1695. He gamed his freedom and the right to set up his own shop in 1704, taking his first apprentice, Ellis Wright, around 1705/1706.

A terrific ivory two-foot, four-fold presentation rule (Lot 251) inscribed "Dr. Jos. Eaton," "USA" and decorated with delightfully whimsical images of cavorting rabbits, cows, sheep, and birds. It was further embellished with stylized bursts of fireworks, went for a bargain price of $577.50. It was a truly great piece of American folk art.

PATENTED PLANES

An all-wood smooth plane with the wedge behind the cutter patented January 16, 1885, by William C. Hooper of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (Lot 236), sold for $440. (J.B. Cox has described the unusual patented features of the Hooper plane, which allowed it to maintain an exceptionally small mouth opening even when the sole of the plane wore down, in March 2004 issue of The Chronicle.)

A Siegley No. 3 smooth plane, nine inches long with a 2-inch cutter in its original slide top labeled wood box (Lot 200), in good condition brought $550. It was made under Jacob Siegley's December 5, 1893, patent No.510,096. The position of the leading edge of the lever cap, which also served as the cap iron, was adjustable by two small screws. This example predated the lateral adjustment, which was added sometime after 1896. Earlier models offered in the 1896 Hammacher, Schlemmer Catalogue, had an adjustable mouth opening.

A very nice 7-inch Sargent No. 707 Autoset smooth plane (Lot 300) sold for the bargain price of $467.50.

WOOD PLANES

An eighteenth century complex molding plane (Lot 99) by Robert Wooding, an early English maker working in London 1706-1726, in G condition except for a name cut into the side of the plane, sold for $302.50.

A nice wide ovolo quarter round molding plane (Lot 165), also by Robert Wooding, brought $275.

An eighteenth-century wide complex molding plane by W. Martin (Lot 185), a Philadelphia maker working 1773-1801, with the C imprint that rates three stars for rarity in Pollak, sold for $550.

A beautiful highly figured apple wood handled plow plane by H. Chapin, No. 239 ½ (Lot 250), in fine condition, brought $682.

STANLEY

The second version, of Traut's hollow & round plane, Lot 266, had turn locks to secure the removable bottoms, and the ivy-vine pattern design on the handle shown in Miller's July 6, 1875, patent for the Stanley No. 48 Tongue & Groove plane. This example had only one of the removable bottoms and was in good condition except for one broken locking handle. It sold for $2,090.